Following Concertos Nos. 20 and 21, this third piano concerto of 1785, composed during a period of immense popularity for the musician, was written for a subscription concert on December 23rd, during Advent. It was completed a week prior, on December 16th (despite what must have been an extremely busy season, with two other concerts also scheduled!). Behind the composition of this work, the opera The Marriage of Figaro had begun to be written.

Although less renowned than the preceding two works, it is a charming piece possessing both the festive brilliance of an opera overture and a serene tranquility. The clarinet, then a relatively new instrument, was introduced in place of the oboe, lending a fresh timbre to the wind section. The solo piano features prominent virtuosic and brilliant passages characteristic of a concerto, and in the slow movement, a melancholic melody is beautifully rendered.

Mozart's own cadenzas for the outer movements have not survived.

First Movement: Allegro, E-flat major, 4/4 time. Concerto-sonata form.

The orchestra and solo piano unite rather than oppose each other, creating a splendid movement.

Second Movement: Andante, C minor, 3/8 time. Variation form.

It possesses an overall calm and static atmosphere, and the effective use of woodwinds imparts a pastoral impression. The solo piano does not disrupt the character of the movement.

Third Movement: Allegro, E-flat major, 6/8 time. Rondo form.

This movement combines the vivacity of opera with the tenderness of an aria. An Andante cantabile section is inserted in the middle, where the clarinet plays a prominent role. In the piano part, in addition to the main melody, decorative movements such as high-pitched trills and transitional passages are prominent.